SCARY FACTS

• National Geographic spelled it out in alarming terms: The United States uses more than 36 billion disposable utensils a year. Laid end to end, they could wrap around the globe 139 times.
• Humans buy about 1,000,000 plastic bottles per minute in total. Only about 23% of plastic bottles are recycled within the U.S.
• Americans purchase about 50 billion water bottles per year, averaging about 13 bottles per month for every person in the U.S.! That means by using a reusable water bottle, you could save an average of 156 plastic bottles annually.
• It is estimated that 4 trillion plastic bags are used worldwide annually. Only 1% of plastic bags are returned for recycling. Americans throw away 100 billion plastic bags annually. That’s about 307 bags per person! 
• Half a million straws are used in the world every day. 
• 500 billion disposable cups are consumed every year. Americans alone throw away 25 billion styrofoam coffee cups annually. Styrofoam cannot be completely recycled. Most of the Styrofoam disposed of today will still be present in landfills 500 years from now. UGH.

But it’s okay if it’s compostable, right?!

Unfortunately not : ( 

Oregon DEQ reviewed 18 years of life-cycle assessments, including over 1,200 comparisons and found use and disposal of compostable packaging to result in higher environmental impacts than that of non-compostable materials.

And last year, all of the compost manufacturing facilities that serve that state signed a letter stating they won’t accept compostable products. “These materials compromise our programs and limit many of the environmental benefits of successful composting,” read the letter.

Boulder’s compost travels 100 miles to be composted so if we’re stuffing our composts full of cups, containers and silverware, that’s a lot more miles being driven to dispose of it.

 

So, what CAN you do?

ACTION 1:

Create a ‘Go Bag’.

Mine consists of:

• Reusable silverware (I just bought everyone this cool rainbow silverware set consisting of knife, fork, spoon, straw, straw cleaner and even CHOPSTICKS!) 

 

• Collapsible food storage containers  

• Silicone reusable (watertight) bag for leftovers. I obviously love the Nude Foods ones.
• Metal water bottle

Keep it in your purse, in your backpack, on your bike or in your car so that you always have something. I even carry spares to share with friends.

I use mine at:

• The Farmers’ Market
• Food Trucks
• Coffee shops
• For leftovers at restaurants
• For any takeout

Most food service providers are happy to fill your container as it saves them money on providing you with one : )

And you’ll get to feel oh-so-smug when you whip out your container to take those yummy leftovers in – BONUS!

Remember to post in the Facebook group today introducing yourself!

This is the single biggest thing you can do to save the world (and maybe even yourself : )

“Many of us, myself included, engage in painless, performative environmentalism,” Manjoo writes. “We’ll give up plastic straws and tweet passionately that someone should do something about the Amazon, yet few of us make space in our worldview to acknowledge the carcass in the room: the irrefutable evidence that our addiction to meat is killing the planet right before our eyes. ” Manjoo explains that omnivores classify vegans as “preachy” only because their mere existence exposes the cognative dissonance people experience when continuing to support animal cruelty and enviornmental destruction by eating animal products.

Farhad Manjoo, The New York Times

 

According to a recent study published in The Lancet, one of the most prestigious and oldest peer-reviewed medical journals, eating a plant-based diet has up to 84% less impact than one that includes meat, fish, eggs and dairy.

The new study, led by Nicole Blackstone, assessed six categories of environmental impact:

1. Land use, 
2. Water depletion
3. Climate change
4. Respiratory inorganics
5. Marine water eutrophication
6. Freshwater eutrophication

Nearly all of the categories were affected up to 84 percent less by a plant-based diet when compared to one that included animal products.

Pretty compelling right?

If that’s not enough then do it for your HEALTH.

1. It’s been proven to reduce the risk of many types of cancer and heart disease
2. It lowers blood sugar levels and improves kidney functions
3. Makes you SO regular (super healthy poops!)
4. Reduces pain from arthritis
5. It’s rich in nutrients

From my own experience:

• I feel so energetic 
• I’m fitter, stronger and have more stamina than I’ve ever had (seriously, I run up mountains for fun!)

If going cold turkey (or should that be cold tofu? ; ) is too much of a jump for you, try these initial steps:

1. Order Nude Meals from Nude Foods which are made from scratch by the Nude Foods chef, are always plant-based and take about 5 minutes from jar to table.
   1. Chef’s Choice – something like a riotto / quinoa / buddha bowl with 2 sides
   2. Asian Fusion – curry or Asian-inspired dish with rice / quinoa / noodles and a yummy side
   3. Soup – hearty soup with gluten free bread and a delicious salad
2. Start with plant-based food replacements. Instead of sausages, buy vegan sausages, instead of cheese, buy vegan cheese (like our vegan herbed feta), instead of cow breast milk buy Oat milk, instead of butter buy margarine or vegan butter. This way you don’t have to change your whole mindset of what you’re eating immediately. My faves are:
   1. Seitan – it’s very similar to chicken and my kids LOVE it. I make Chick’n Tenders from it
   2. Oat milk – I love Oatis. It’s all organic and made locally here in Boulder.
   3. Vegan Butter – I’m obsessed with Earth Balance‘s AMAZING vegan butter. Yum. (Find it at Nude Foods Market without any of the packaging : )
3. Use flaxmeal instead of eggs (1 tablespoon of flaxmeal + 3 tablespoons of water = 1 egg in baking). I recommend going for plant-based recipes that already have this built-in as I’ve never tried simply doing a direct replacement
4. Let go of the belief that every meal needs a central ‘thing’ to make it a meal. This was hard (and still is) for me. What do I mean by this? Non-plant-based meals are led by the meat e.g. CHICKEN with mashed potatoes and peas, FISH and chips, STEAK, green beans and potatoes, cheese-based LASAGNE and salad. Instead think of a meal as a more equally balanced plate consisting of things you might traditionally think of as sides.
5. Here are a few of my fave meals and snacks for inspiration plus a WHOLE HEAP MORE HERE complete with links to buy.

 

Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner	Snacks
Verity’s Chocolate Pot 1/3 cup of quick oats 1tsp cacao 1tsp maca powder 1 tsp hemp hearts 1tsp chia seeds 1tsp flaked almonds 1tsp pumpkin seeds 1tsp sunflower seeds 1tsp chopped pecans 1tsp cashew nuts 1tsp ground flaxseeds Put it all in a mason jar, shake it up and just add oat milk for the MOST delicious, protein packed, healthy snack that feels like a total sweet treat anytime of day. I prep 7 at a time and have one available for every day of the week.	Toasted sourdough, avocado, tomato and hot sauce (I like Green Belly)	Brown Rice Risotto Buy: Short grain brown rice, vegetable broth, nutritional yeast (use in place of parmesan), tamari, salt, pepper BYO wine and add any veggies on hand	Apples and peanut butter
Banana Oat Pancakes	Zoodles (zuchinni / courgette noodles) Tofu squares Fried Red onion Tamari	Quinoa Tofu Stir Fry Buy: Tofu, tamari, arrowroot starch, olive oil, sesame oil, quinoa, maple syrup, sesame seeds BYO veggies or grab our produce box	Avocado Toast with salt / chilli flakes
Overnight Oats Buy: Oats, maple syrup, peanut butter, chia seeds, oat milk, granola	4 Ingredient Tomato Soup	10-minute TVP Tacos with homemade flour tortillas Buy: Textured Vegetable Protein (super versatile and yummy), tamari, olive oil, flour, baking powder, salt, vegetable oil BYO salsa, red peppers and taco seasoning or make your own seasoning with chili, garlic and onion powder, red pepper flakes, oregano, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper	Banana and peanut butter sandwiches / tortilla rolls
Cinnamon Raisin Oatmeal Buy: Oats, cinnamon, raisins	Salad – lettuce, quinoa, olives, chopped apple, roasted sweet potato cubes, homemade balsamic dressing	“Chicken” Noodle Soup Buy:  Olive oil, Tofu , tamari, nutritional yeast, carrots, celery, an onion, 2 cloves of garlic, 1 bay leaf, dried parsley, vegan broth, pasta and lemon juice. (All these veggies are available at Nude Foods)	Chips and guac / salsa
Carrot Cake and Zucchini bread Oatmeal (so yum!) Buy: Steel cut oats, oat milk, carrot, zucchini, salt, nutmeg, ground cloves, cinnamon, maple syrup, pecans and vanilla extract	Pasta and vegan pesto with zucchini/cherry tomatoes	Creamy Peanut Butter Pineapple Tofu Rice Buy: Short grain brown rice, Olive oil, Tofu, Pineapple (we have these at Nude Foods this week : ), peanut butter,  tamari, maple syrup, rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, coconut milk,  chili	Cherry Cacao Patter Bars
Smoothie (1 scoop protein, 1 tbsp Mac, 2 tbsp Flaxmeal, 1 banana, blend with water or plant-based milk) Buy: Vanilla Lacuma Protein Powder, Maca, Flaxmeal	Nude’s Best Selling Lemony Lentil Soup	Nude Food’s Chef’s Choice Meal	Dairy-Free Cheese Puffs
Granola and Plant-based Milk	Mulligatawny Soup	Nude Food’s Soup-of-the-Week Meal	Nooch Popcorn
Bagel with vegan cheese	Susan’s Samosas	Nude Food’s Asian Fusion Meal	Trail Mix

Challenge 3:

Plan to eat all plant-based one day this week. Post in the Facebook group about what you’re planning to eat : )

Also let us know if you try any of these recipes and how they are! Bonus points for including a photo.

Buying plastic crap for kids (and adults!) has almost become socially enforced. My kids love it and other people seem to love to buy it for them.

But by going along with this, we’re simply teaching them that plastic (and STUFF) is a good thing and the more of it the better.

I read a great book called Simplicity Parenting. HERE are my notes to save you some time reading it. This helped me realize that less is most definitely more when it comes to kids.

Here are 10 ways I keep the plastic (somewhat) at bay:

1. Give them a WHY: Show them openly the devastation that plastic is doing to the earth – photos of animals surrounded by plastic in the ocean, the famous turtle with a straw in its nose and explain to them how our plastic use is leading to this. 
2. MODELING: I model refusing plastic at restaurants, take outs etc and I’m proud to say that my girls will now tell the server they don’t want plastic whether they are with me or not. 
3. COMMUNICATE: I BEG family and friends not to buy plastic presents or ideally any presents at all. If you review the Simplicity Parenting notes you’ll see that they propose too much ‘stuff’ is bad for children. I know I personally feel totally overwhelmed by stuff all the time so this rings pretty true for me. This is a constant battle. A family member who shall remain nameless literally bought them a big bunch of plastic straws with styrofoam cut outs to make a plastic bunch of flowers! Do they know me AT ALL??? I find giving a list of alternatives and letting them know you are happiest with either previously used stuff or experiences. 
4. GIVING over RECEIVING: I went to a birthday party recently where the 6 year old had elected for people to donate to a cause instead of bringing her gifts. I’m working on this one for my girls and think I’ll get there if I can promise a pretty cool experience in lieu. I’m thinking horse riding lessons : ) I also think this is an amazing lesson to teach them early on. Stuff won’t make you happy, helping others just might.
5. REDUCE the number of toys: My husband laughs because I’m literally cleaning out the playroom every 3 months of all the crap they seem to acquire. And that is with me being a total crap drill sergeant – it still seems to infiltrate somehow. My aim is for them to have about 8 stuffies, 4 board games, a few coloring books and 10 reading books out to play with. Everything else is locked in the locked ‘Toy Library’ and they have to request it then clean it up and exchange it if they want something else. To be honest, they just play with what’s out mostly and make up games with cushions and kitchen utensils. GREAT for their imagination and self-directed play.  (Update: I am failing!)
6. EXPERIENCES over STUFF: I’m always trying to emphasize giving them fun experiences rather than presents and constantly modeling how I prefer amazing memories to more stuff. 
7. SWAP TOYS: Younger kids are just happy with things that are new to THEM. They have no idea if it’s actually new or not. So get together with a bunch of friends and instead of buying new toys etc for birthdays and Christmas, swap among yourselves. Also check out TOY LIBRARY. You can sign up and they deliver you toys from their ‘library’ each month which you then return. They clean and sanitize and send out to another kid. I haven’t tried it yet so not sure on the packaging but it seems COOL! AND keep your eye on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist etc as you can find some awesome stuff on there.
8. TEACH THEM HOW TO RECYCLE / COMPOST: Make this a habit and they’ll have it for life and they can pass it onto other kids. Mine are constantly sharing their knowledge at school and encouraging kids to shop zero waste.
9. GRATITUDE: When kids do receive gifts, make sure they slow down and appreciate them. I’ve watched as kids rip through opening a ton of presents and barely glance at them. It ends up being less fun for the kids and definitely less fun for the giver.
10. GIFT THEM WHAT THEY NEED: Keep a list of everything your kid NEEDS (new shoes, clothes, toothbrush etc) and save it all up for birthdays. That way you don’t have to double buy. For example, mine received wooden toothbrushes with their names engraved on them for Christmas one year and also receive lots of second-hand clothes from CHILDISH THINGS.

CHALLENGE 5:

Simplify your kids toys. Get a big box or bag and go and remove at least 50% of their toys and books and hide them away somewhere. Did they notice? Did it impede their playing? Did they actually end up using their imagination more?

If you are a kid-free zone, try the same thing with an area of your house. Try attacking the cupboards in the kitchen and giving away those spices and random food items you haven’t used in forever. Go through your closet and grab any item of clothing that you haven’t worn in a year and pack it away. If by the beginning of next year you haven’t gone into the box to get it, you know you no longer need it.